Combination chair, stepladder, and ironing board device



Dec. 5, 1933. R. GROSE COMBINATION CHAIR, STEPLADDER, AND IRONING BOARD DEVICE Filed Nov. 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 5, 1933- GROSE 1,937,886

COMBINATION CHAIR, STEPLADDER, AND IRONING BOARD DEVICE Filed Nov. 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. L. GROSE Dec. 5, 1933.

COMBINATION CHAIR, STEPLADDER, AND IRONING BOARD DEVICE Filed Nov. 12, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 5, 1933 v UNITED STATES COMBINATION CHAIR, STEPLADDER, AND IRONING BOARD DEVICE Ralph L. Grose, Findlay, Ohio Application November 12, 1931 Serial No. 574,577

' 2 Claims.

My invention relates to furniture, Particularly to a furniture piece having parts which maybe folded or adjusted for its conversion into a variety of useful constructions or devices to en- I able the performance of various functions.

The invention has for its object to provide a device which may serve as a comfortable chair, a safe stepladder and a stable ironing board. The invention has particularly for its object to provide a device in which the component parts cooperate to servein several capacities when the device is folded or adjusted from chair form to stepladder form or ironing board form, thereby providing for greater efliciency of space occupancy which is desirable in devices of this nature, especially where there is limited space applicable for the location of the device. A further object of the invention is to provide a device having a varietyof uses which has relatively few parts're quiring individual attention and operates auto matically and semi-automaticallyto locate the parts in proper relation according to the function that is to be performed by the device. Astill further object of the inventionis to" provide a device of a composite structure which may be readily converted into a chair, a stepladder or an ironing board and which may be manufactured at a low cost. r l

The invention consists in other features and advantages which will appear from the following description and upon examination of the drawings. Structures containing the invention may partake of different forms and may be varied in their details of construction and still embody the invention. To illustrate a practical application of the invention I have selected a combination chair, stepladder and ironing board device that contains the invention and shall describe the selected structure hereinafter, itbeing'under- 40. stood that variations may be made without departing from the spirit of'the invention. The particular structure selected is shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a view in perspective of the device selected for purposes of illustration showing it in chair form.

Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical section through the device illustrating the device in position to be used as a stepladder. Fig. 3 illustrates a rear view of the device showing thearrangement of the parts below the level of the seat when in a position as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates a view'of a section taken on the plane of the line 4-4 indicatedin Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates a sideview of the device showing it in position to be used as an ironing board. Fig. 6 illustrates an enlarged end view of a means for varying the height of one end of the ironing board. Fig. '7 illustratesa cross sectional enlarged view of the locking means provided in the telescoping brace for supporting the ironing board.

The device provided by my invention comprises a convertible chair, having a seat member which is supported above the floor at the front by a pair of legs attached thereto, and at the rear by a foldable vertical step ladder whose step supporting members or uprights rest upon the floor and are pivotally bolted to one end of a pair of ladder bracing members connected to and extending substantially at right angles to the seat member, the step ladder adapted to be locked in its folded vertical position by means of a pair of curved, slotted links and pin; a back rest member consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected sections of an ironing board, pivotally attached to the stepladder pivoting bolt by means of a pair of variable length brackets and received in a partially foldedform within a recess in the rear of the seat member, being slidably held therein and locked in a substantially vertical position.

The chair may be converted into a step ladder by unlocking the step supporting member or uprights and swinging them outward about its pivoted top, thereby allowing the bracing members of the stepladder to rest upon the floor, in which position the slotted links connect the ladder with=the brace member. A section of the hingedly connected back rest of the chair may then be turned about its pivoted top support and locked into position to form a conventional, hori- 9U zontal platform or top step for the ladder.

The chair may be further converted from the above described position into an ironing board, by sliding the hingedly connected board from its partially folded position as the back rest and by rotating its several partsrelative to its pivoted end support at the top of the stepladder to extend in a horizontal plane above the seat of the chair, and may be braced in that position by an extensible, telescopic brace member which is hingedly attached to the under portion of the seat and may be swung outwardly and upwardly therefrom. r

Varying elevations of the ironing board, rela tive to the floor, may be obtained by means of varying the length of the extensible brace member at one end of the board and by varying the spread of the legs of the stepladder at the opposite end of the board and also by a means incorporated in the supporting pivoting brackets 0' whereby the board may be moved closer to, or farther from, the pivoting bolt to which the brackets attach.

In the device chosen for purposes of illustration, a seat 1 is supported by suitable legs 2 and uprights 5. The uprights 5 are pivotally connected as by a bolt 7 to a pair of vertically extending members 6 which are suitably connected to the seat 1 and form the legs of the chair and a part of the frame of the back of the chair. The uprights 5 have steps 9 extending between the uprights and connected thereto by suitable screws 10. Thus the uprights 5 may be swung away from the seat 1 about the bolt 7 to a position in which the uprights 5 and steps 9 will be located at an angle most favorable for climbing. The members 6 extend below the seat portion 1 to provide auxiliary legs 12 which act to brace the uprights 5 and give greater stability to the device when used as a ladder. In order to hold the uprights 5 in position away from the seat 1, adjustable braces 13 may be pivotally connected to the members 6 as by pins 14 and slidably connected to the uprights 5 as by the bolts 15. Each of the braces 13 has a slot 16 which extends lengthwise of the body of the brace and a plurality of connected slots 17 extending angularly with respect to the slot 16. Each of the bolts 15 are adapted to slide along the slot 16 as the uprights are moved relative to the seat and the bolt 15 may be located in one of the connected slots 17 to hold the ladder in position after a manner well known in the art.

The device is provided with an upright back portion 20 which is supported at one of the edges of the seat 1 and forms thereby a chair back for the seat when the device is in chair form, as shown in Fig. 1. The back portion is formed of three parts, 21,22 and 23, which are intercon nected by suitable hinges 24. The part 23 is pivotally connected to the bolt 7 by a pair of looped metal straps 26. The part 22 is supported by a metal strap 25 connected to the legs 12 in position to abut the edge of the seat 1 and the part 21 is folded into a substantially parallel position to the part 22 and on the opposite side of the part 22 from that which abuts the edge of the seat when the device is in chair form. The part 21 may be held in position by a suitable metal strap 27 which extends between the members 6 of the seat. a

In order to provide a top step or platform for the device when in stepladder form, the back portion 20 maybe pivoted about the bolts 7 to locate the part 23 in a substantially horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 2. The part 23 will be maintained in position by a pair of spring pressed dogs 28 which are hingedly connected to the straps 26 as at 29. The dogs engage the bolt 7 to prevent movement of the bolt 7 through the looped portions of the straps. If desired, the dogs 28 may be interconnected by a suitable handle bar 33 for operating the dogs. The dogs are held in position by suitable springs 31.

When the part 23 is angularly moved about the bolt 7 to locate it in a horizontal plane, the end of the part 22 is moved so as to be located on a strip or flange 32 which may be formed or located on the under side of the seat 1 and projects beyond the edge thereof. The part 22 serves as a brace against tilting the platform 23 in a direction toward the seat and cooperates with the bolt '7 to withstand the load placed on the platform part 23. In order to brace the part 22 and further brace the platform part 23,

the end of the part 21 is moved and located under the bolt '7. A suitable strap 34, which extends between the uprights 5, serves to hold the part 22 in bracing position. The part 22 assumes a bracing position when the platform part 23 is located in a horizontal position. Thus, the parts 21 and 22 cooperate with the bolt 7 and the flange 32 to withstand the heavy loads and strains which are placed or directed against the platform part 23.

In order to automatically return the parts 21, 22 and 23 of the back portion to their initial positions, as when the device is used as a ladder and it is desired to convert it into a chair, a pusher bar 35 is operated by the uprights 5 to move the parts 21 and 22 from engagement with the flange 32 and allows them to move into chair position as described above. As illustrated, the bar 35 is supported below the seat for slight angular movements by suitable staples 36. The bar 35 has an extension 37 which is normally held by the tension of springs 38, attached to the bar 35, in position on the flange 32 and away from the edge of the flange. The bar 35 has a foot which is bent so as to be engaged by the uprights 5 as the uprights are moved toward the seat 1. The bar 35 will be pivoted about the staples 36 against the tension of the spring 38 to move the extension 37 against the part 22 and cause the part 22 to move oh? the flange 32 and allowing it to fall into its described position in chair formation, as shown in Fig. 1. As the part 22 moves into its chair position it will draw the part 23 about its pivot on the bolt '7 to locate the part 23 in substantially the same vertical plane as the part 22. The strap 34, which extends between the uprights 5 causes the part 21 to move from engagement with the bolt '7 as the uprights are moved toward the seat. If desired, a spring clip 42 may be supported on the leg 12 to engage one of the steps 9 of the ladder to hold the ladder close to the seat.

In order to adapt the device to an ironing board form the part 23 is preferably first moved to stepladder position and the parts 21 and 22 are unfolded, as shown in Fig. 5, to locate them in the same horizontal plane as the part 23 is located. The parts may be supported in position by a suitable brace member 45 which preferably has a sleeve part 46 and a rack part 47. The sleeve 46 is hingedly connected to the seat 1, as at 48, and the rack part 47 is slidably supported in the sleeve 46. The rack 4'7 has a cross brace 50 which is located at one of the ends of the rack part and which engages the part 21 of the back portion 20 when the device is in ironing board form. The other end of the rack 47 has a plurality of teeth or notches 52 which are engaged by a suitable pawl 53 which is supported on the sleeve 46. The pawl 53 may have a handle 54 which is yieldingly held by a spring 55 so as to press the pawl 53 against the surface of the rack 47. The effective length of the brace 45 may thus be varied by interengagement of the pawl with various notches 52 and thus permit variations in height of the ironing board formed by the parts 21, 22 and 23.

In order to vary the height of the opposite end of the ironing board, the handle bar 33 may be operated to withdraw the dogs, 28 from engagement with the bolt '7, allowing the part 23 to move toward and rest on the bolt 7. Thus, the device presents an ironing board which may be quickly and easily adjusted to any desirable height.

In order to locate the brace 45 within the confines of the seat portion when the device is to be, used as a chair or stepladder, the rack part 47 is telescoped within the sleeve 46. The rack part 47 will be held in its position within the sleeve by engagement of the pawl 53 with a notch 52 formed in the rack 47. The sleeve may be then swung on its hinge under the seat, where it will be retained by a spring latch 56 well known in the art. The latch 56 may be supported on the cross brace 3.

A suitable cover for the ironing board may be connected to the part 21. The cover may have an elastic band secured in its edges so as to permit location of the cover over the parts 23 and 22 when the device is in ironing board form.

Thus, the device shown and illustrated may be quickly converted for a plurality of uses, such as a chair, stepladder or ironing board, and may be located in a limited space.

I claim:

1. In combination with a furniture seat, a pair of supporting legs attached to the front portion thereof, a pair of uprights attached to the rear portion of the seat and extending above and below the plane of the seat, a stepladder comprising a pair of upright members and a plurality of connecting steps suitably joined, a bolt pivotally connecting the stepladder and the uprights, a folding ironing board comprising a plurality of hingedly connected sections, the ironing board pivotally connected to the bolt by a pair of brackets having adjustable means for locating the shaft therein, a recess formed in one edge of the seat for receiving a portion of the folded ironing board when turned to an upright position, and means for locking the ironing board in an upright position to form a seat back rest, a telescopic support of adjustable length hingedly attached beneath the seat and adapted to be swung into position to engage and support the extended ironing board above the seat.

2. A chair having a seat, a pair of supporting legs attached to one side of the seat, a pair of vertically extending members secured to the other side of the seat and extending at substantially right angles to the plane of the seat above and below the seat, a step ladder comprising a pair of upright members interjoined by a plurality of steps suitably connected, a bolt pivotally joining the upper portion of the pair of back-rest supporting members and the stepladder, a pair of links connecting the vertically extending members to the stepladder, a back-rest comprising a plurality of hingedly connected sections pivotally attached to the bolt and supported thereby and adapted to be located in a plane substantially parallel to the seat, an arm of adjustable length hingedly attached beneath the seat and adapted to swing into an engaging position with the backrest when the sections are located in a plane substantially parallel to and above the seat.

RALPH L. GROSE. 

